Electronic Explorations preps compilation

What made you want to put together an actual compilation, and how does this kind of thing differ from your archived radio show in your mind? It's a logical progression and has always been my dream to start a label way before I did my music degree. Having published mixes by some of the leading names in their field, mixes that are only available on EE, I've also become very good friends with quite a few of them too. But due to the sheer and ever increasing number of listeners, the show has run into financial difficulty with hosting costs and the brand new website. It was both the listeners and previous artists who came up with the idea of releasing a compilation, so funds could be raised to keep the show going. I hope this compilation will help push the name of the show. It's also going to help promote artists which are not receiving the recognition they deserve, something I always try to push. There really are some amazing musicians out there, the trouble is being heard! How did you go about choosing the artists, and why so many tracks? Is it meant to be an overwhelming experience? Is it the kind of thing you're supposed to listen to all the way through, or do you imagine listeners picking and choosing what they like? I hand-picked the artists because 1) I'm into their sound, 2) some are very good friends of the show and understand what I am trying to achieve, and 3) some of the artists involved deserve more recognition than they are receiving. Why so many tracks... I enjoy a wide variety of sounds, so much quality out there to be discovered and I wanted all these people to participate. In fact I actually wanted a 70-track compilation but 12 producers didn't even have the decency to reply. I see this compilation as I see the internet today, it's bloated with new mixtapes every minute, new blogs spring up daily offering exclusive mixes, SoundCloud links every few seconds popping up on your Facebook account. So if you can't beat them, join 'em! Choice is good, why not? At the end of the day I am offering a broad spectrum of music, similar to what I play on EE, a massive choice of genres and some fantastic tunes. I think there's a good five hours of music in one zip folder, it's there for when you wanna listen, that's the beauty I guess. If you don't like one tune, hopefully you'll like the next. Over the course of 200 episodes, what moments on EE are you most proud of, and where do you see the radio show going from here on? Do you feel like you've made a tangible difference in underground electronic music since you started? I really enjoyed dealing with Epworth and the Nottingham massive when we got together to do a full on Nottingham City showcase last year. Finally nailing Dave Clarke down, he doesn't do mixes for anyone, so when he said yes I didn't know how to respond! I grew up going to Atomic Jam and House of God in Brum, so Surgeon was a massive coup, especially as I had just started the podcast! There are so many, discovering James Blake and playing his music when no one else was (with the exception of Distance and a few others). Mount Kimbie before they were signed, same with Airhead. It's been great to deal with the Hessle Audio crew, and lately the guys at Stroboscopic Artefacts (fucking hell, what a label that is). As for where I want to go, my own stage at Glade is the ultimate goal and the elusive Aphex Twin in the mix, exclusive... to get Surgeon back on the show would be so good. I've been told many times by my listeners that they've up and left, moving to Bristol mainly, some to Berlin, due to what I've been playing on the show. I'm a massive supporter of everything Bristol! Crazy though isn't it, but why not, they're both wonderful cities. Oli Marlow over at Sonic Router swears by my show, it's what gave him the motivation to start up his own blog, so yeah I hope I have made some kind of impression, but I'm not here for that. I love publishing a new show, watching some go viral, and others where a new artist brings in an insane amount of "wow!" It's just a hobby, but one that I take very seriously, and hope to make full time before I'm old and grey. I'd be lost without it.